Appliance Electricity Cost Calculator
Every appliance in your home draws power, but few people know exactly what each one costs to run. Enter the wattage and daily usage for up to 8 devices to see their real electricity cost — and find out which appliances are eating your budget.
Quick Start
Tip: For appliances that cycle on and off (fridge, heat pump), use the average wattage from the energy label rather than the peak draw on the nameplate.
Project
Devices & Appliances
Add each appliance. Wattage is on the label, plug or in the manual.
Example calculation
kWh/day = (500 × 1.5) ÷ 1000 = 0.75 kWh
Daily cost = 0.75 × $0.25 = $0.19
Monthly cost = $0.19 × 30.44 = $5.70/month
Annual cost = $0.19 × 365 = $68/year
Typical wattage reference
Common questions
How do I find the wattage of an appliance? +
Check the label on the back or bottom of the appliance, the plug, or the product manual. The wattage is usually printed as "W" or "Watts". For appliances with energy labels, the annual kWh figure is even more accurate — it accounts for real usage cycles rather than peak draw.
How do I calculate kWh from watts? +
kWh per day = (watts × hours used per day) ÷ 1000. A 500 W washing machine running 1.5 hours uses (500 × 1.5) ÷ 1000 = 0.75 kWh per day. Multiply by your electricity rate to get the daily cost in your currency.
Which home appliances use the most electricity? +
The biggest consumers in most homes are space heating (electric radiators or heat pumps: 1,000–3,000 W), water heating, tumble dryers (2,000–4,000 W), electric ovens (2,000–3,000 W) and EV chargers (3,500–22,000 W). Fridges and freezers also add up because they run around the clock. Lighting and phone chargers are minor by comparison.
How much does it cost to run a TV all day? +
A typical 55-inch LED TV uses around 100 W. Running it 8 hours a day at $0.25/kWh costs about $0.20 per day, $6/month or $73/year. A 75-inch or OLED screen can use 150–250 W, increasing costs proportionally. Check your TV's wattage on the back label for an exact figure.
Does standby power add up to much? +
Each device on standby typically draws 1–5 W. With 10 devices left on standby that is 10–50 W running constantly — adding $11–$55 per year at $0.25/kWh. A smart plug with an energy monitor can show exactly what each device draws on standby and let you cut the supply when devices are not in use.
Understanding appliance running costs
How to calculate the running cost of any appliance
The formula is straightforward: multiply the appliance wattage (W) by the number of hours used per day, divide by 1,000 to get kWh, then multiply by your electricity tariff. Most electricity bills show a price per kWh — typically $0.10–$0.40 depending on your country and supplier.
Why rated wattage is not always the real wattage
The wattage on an appliance label is the peak draw at full load. Many appliances use considerably less in practice. A fridge cycles on and off — it might be rated at 150 W but only draw power 30–40% of the time, giving an effective average of 45–60 W. A washing machine rated at 2,000 W draws that only during the heating phase; the rest of the cycle uses far less. For fridges, the energy label's annual kWh figure is a better starting point than the nameplate wattage.
The appliances worth targeting first
If you want to reduce your electricity bill, focus on the high-wattage appliances that run frequently. Electric space heating and water heating are usually the dominant costs. A tumble dryer running 4 cycles a week costs roughly $140–$200 per year — air-drying where possible cuts that entirely. An older fridge-freezer can use twice as much energy as an A+++ model, making replacement worthwhile over a 5–8 year horizon.
Standby power: worth addressing, but not the priority
Standby power from TVs, set-top boxes, games consoles and phone chargers is real but rarely the biggest item. Even 50 W of constant standby across all devices adds only around $55/year at $0.25/kWh. Smart plugs on entertainment systems let you cut standby entirely with one button, but the saving is modest compared to targeting heating, drying or hot water.
Want to see what standby devices cost across your whole home? Read How Much Does Standby Power Cost?